Black Pepper Shirmp

Date cooked: Sept 13, 2010
Meal: Dinner
Big Ben's Rating: 3.5

Comments: Neither Ben or I were shrimp fans before we went to Mexico, but while there we gave it another try and fell in love! We ordered shrimp whenever it was on the menu and decided we had to try some shrimp recipes here in Colorado. I found this recipe in a cookbook that was given to me as a wedding gift and Ben & I made it together on Monday for our date night dinner. The sweetness of the shrimp and molasses hits your tongue as you take your first bite, followed soon by the spicy pepper which lingers in your mouth. The sauce was the perfect consistency with a nice contrast between sweet and spicy. Ben and I thought the pepper was a little too strong for our tastes; I used a new container of peppercorns, which Ben cracked just before we added it to the sauce. I think if your pepper is older or pre-cracked the 1 1/2 tsp. would be okay, but otherwise we suggest using less - we'll probably use 3/4 or 1 tsp. next time. Also, take into consideration that shelling and deveining shrimp takes a while; I have never done this before and it took Ben and I 10 - 15 min. We enjoyed our shrimp with rice and stir-fried vegetables, which was a very nice pairing. Frozen shrimp will never be quite as delicious as fresh, but this dish was not disappointing. A great way to enjoy shrimp!

Recipe:
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup Worcestershire
1/3 cup dark beer (open and let stand 1 hour)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup chicken broth, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste (I didn't want to buy this; I used some red pepper flakes instead - about 1/2 tsp.)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I used more - Ben & I love garlic!)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon water
4 cups cooked white rice

Makes 4 servings

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine molasses, Worcestershire and beer. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and enough of the chicken broth to prevent shrimp from sticking. Cook until shrimp just turns pink. (Make sure to not overcook - it will ruin the tender shrimp taste! It only takes a couple minutes) Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

To same skillet, add pepper, chili paste, garlic and remaining broth. Cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in molasses mixture. Cook until reduced by half. (This took almost 15 minutes for us) In small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Add to chicken broth mixture and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until thickened. Add shrimp, toss to coat and heat thoroughly. (Again, don't let the shrimp get overcooked - just warmed back up)

Recipe from "Colorado Collage" cookbook